Improving the Perception of English Vowels by Arabic-speaking Learners in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

High variability (HV) training method has been found to be effective in improving the perception of English vowels. Its success is derived from several factors, including exposing learners to multiple speakers and phonetic contexts, the provision of immediate feedback after trials, and the utilisation of real examples of natural language. However, current HV training studies mainly focus on using a single first language (L1) English variety in their methodology, often Southern Standard British English (SSBE). The potential advantages of including multiple English accents in the training process have so far been overlooked; this is particularly poignant when it comes to second language (L2) varieties, which are typically avoided. With this in mind, the current study examined whether accent variability aids the perception of English vowels by L2 learners in the same way other aspects of variability have proven beneficial and whether this advantage holds when L2 (or so-called ''non-native'') varieties are used.

Data were collected from 112 Saudi Arabian novice learners studying English in a foreign language context. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three training groups: Group A included 38 participants who were trained using the HV paradigm with a single L1 accent (SSBE); Group B included 41 participants who were trained using a variety of L1 Standard English accents (SSBE, American, Australian); and Group C included 38 participants who were trained with two L1 varieties (SSBE, American) and one L2 variety (Saudi English). Each training consisted of sixteen 40-minute sessions carried out over a period of three months. To my knowledge, this is the longest training study of its kind, with the highest number of participants. The training method integrated aspects that have been empirically demonstrated to improve learners' perception of vowels; these included identification, auditory discrimination, and category discrimination tasks alongside a production task. Participants completed a pre-test (before the training), a mid-test (after 8 training sessions), and a post-test (after 16 training sessions) to assess the effectiveness of the training. Furthermore, they completed two generalisation tests, which provided novel stimuli not previously used in training or the pre-/mid-/post-tests. The first generalisation test featured new words pronounced by new Saudi and SSBE speakers, while the second test used these same words but spoken with novel accents (Indian and Chinese English). The tasks in all tests (pre-/mid-/post-tests and generalisation tests) were identical, consisting of identification, auditory discrimination, and category discrimination, all of which were performed without any feedback.

The findings revealed that groups A, B, and C significantly improved on all three perceptual tasks, as demonstrated not only by their mid-and post-test results but also by their results on both generalisation tests. Crucially, all three groups improved equally, presenting a solid case for using L2 as well as L1 varieties in phonetics training, given that exposure to different accents was not problematic for beginners. This mimics real-world variability and promotes social justice in the way we portray the role of varieties in the classroom. Moreover, the data showed that the training programme successfully addressed the three perceptual tasks (identification, auditory discrimination, and category discrimination) despite the varying levels of difficulty associated with each task. The data also showed significant improvement in vowel accuracy across the three perceptual tests as time progressed, with the post-test— after 16 training sessions—showing more improvement compared to the mid-test that took place after 8 sessions. Improvement in vowel performance was retained across all tasks and generalisation tests. Given these results, the HV training method developed in this study has the potential to enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching by supporting learners to recognise and discriminate challenging L2 sounds. This tool should be valuable in environments with limited resources and for learners who primarily encounter the language in educational settings. Through exposure to high variability stimuli, including different accents, speakers, and phonetic instances, learners are prepared to engage in everyday conversations more confidently.